Big red "RESET" button

Check the 12 volt battery.

 

^ ^

 

Its in the boot (trunk) on the right hand side as you look in.

Remove the cover in the corner.

You will need to remove the flap/cover that covers the spare for full access.

 

When the 12 volt battery starts getting weak, weird and unusual things start happening. It is located on the right side of the trunk, behind an access door. If you do a search, there are lots of posts about how to check it out.

 

check it for low voltage. you can put a charger on it, but you want to use a correct type. see the threads here on charging. there are also threads for testing and specs. specs may be in owners manual as well. and, there are threads with pics on battery replacement if necessary.

 

Opening the rear hatch with a dead battery | PriusChat

 

you can check the voltage, as well as jump start it from under the hood. then open the hatch. or climb in back as above. if you decide to jump start it, be careful not to reverse polarization, damage can be in the thousands.

 

Randy,

I think what everyone is trying to tell you is that your battery is showing symptoms of being discharged. It happens all of the time. The Prius doesn't crank slow like a regular car when the battery gets weak. It just quits like yours did and does all kinds of stupid stuff like what you are seeing.

Where is it? It should be in the hatch area under the floor boards on the passenger side.

You asked about a battery charger. Yes, you could try that, but chances are you simply need a new battery.

If you are mechanically inclined, you can change the battery with little difficulty. If not, get someone to help you. You really don't want the dealer to fix it as it will cost you a lot of money. You can expect to pay in the neighborhood of $175 to $200 for the correct battery. If you have the dealer do the work, you could also expect to pay an additional labor rate for installation of any where from $50 to $200.

If you know where the jump post is under the hood, you can hook up a battery charger and try to recharge it. The charger should be set on "AGM" and the amperage should be no higher than 4 amps.

Also, if you have a digital volt meter, you can check the voltage there at the jump post. Below is a table that will give you an idea of what the voltage should be in relation to the amount of charge.



I suspect you will find your voltage to be somewhere in the area of 11.0 volts or even less.

Bad timing to do this job with the upcoming Winter storm... (had to do mine last winter in the rain and cold, no fun!)

Hope this info helps you and best of luck to you!

 

If you do try a "Jump Start", use a portable starting pack rather than the traditional way. That will also help you if you are just trying to get the rear hatch open so you don't have to climb in the backend to get to the emergency lever.

Peak Performance 900 Peak Amp Jump Starter | Product Details | Pep Boys

I have one of these and it works great. Real handy too when your neighbor needs a jump. So far, I haven't needed it, but other's have. Worked every time.

 

the 12v post is under a flip up cover in the fuse box. find a chassis bolt for ground. the top of the battery comes off pretty easily. you can pick up a new battery at auto zone and etc. it's about an hour job.

 

This is OK as long as your charger is still charging the 12V battery. Make sure the car is IG-OFF (dashboard and MFD should be dark.)

 

Does your charger have an ammeter or some other means to show that it is delivering a charge to the battery?

If you should find that the 2A position is not working, you might try the 10A charging position. However do not use the Engine Start feature (or 50A position) if such a position exists. That will provide excessive charging voltage.

Also, plan to leave the charger on overnight especially if you are using the 2A position.